The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-01-08
SANTA ANNA'S BRIDE.
A BEAUTIFUL, SHA8BlLY DRESSED
GIRL, PLAYING WITH A KITTEN.

The story of the DictatOr's Second Wife.
Her Rich Wardrobe-A Lazy Lady.
Lesson in Neatness-ReceiVing
Visitor.
When Gen. Santa Anna lost power and
prestige and was eXiled, his young wife
proved true and devoted woman. In
1874 the exiled hero, old, broken in health
and bowed in spirit, received permission
from the Mexican government to return
to his native land, and then his wife was
his chief solace and did all in her power
to alleviate his moral and physical suffer
ings. The ex-dictator lived very plainly,
for the greater part of his fortune had
been squandered in the West Indies; those
who had fawned upon him in other days
utterly ignored him, and he was totally
neglected even by persons on whom he
mad once conferred immense favOrs. AS
to his favorite generals and other military
chiefs, many assumed a virtuous or pa
triotic Indignation and disclaimed inter
course with man who was traitor;
all seemed to forget how well and bravely
Gen. Santa Anna had fought against the
Americans in 1916.
LoLLING IN A ROCKING CHAIR.
After Gen. Santa Anna died his family
recovered some of his former possessions,
and his widow was comparatively
wealthy She owned a city residence
here and pretty country seat in Tacu-
baya Her wardrObes were filed with
silk, satin and velvet dresses, her laces
alone constituted fortune, and she still
retained costly sets of diamonds, pearls
and emeralds; but when the stimulus of
the old generals ambition was with
drawn Mrs. Santa Anna became so care
less, 30 inane that she had not energy
enough to sustain the position she might
have held if possessed of any spirit.
Her apathy was not due to any regrets
for past rank or splendor. She was sim
ply lazy, and soon degenerated into a
nonenity, and instead of opening her salon
to those who respected her and fully ap-
preciated her virtues, she received but a
few relatives and passed her days idly
lolling in rocking chair. Some two
years ago a Spanish lady, who was
really attached to Mrs. Santa Anna,
tried to arouse her from her oyster like
existence One morning, when she found
her eX-highness in torn, soiled wrapper
with her hair hanging down and her
feet thrust into old slippers down at the
heel, she said:
Lola it is a shame for you to be so
dntidy''
Mrs. Santa Anna replied: ''I have no
person to dress for
"NOnsensep' exclaimed her friend
GU SHOu1O TcI10IuDSF CnaG you are the
widow of one of MeXico's most illustri-
GUS heroes. Allow me to give you one
lesson in neatness."
"What is it?' asked Mrs Santa Anna
with languid smile.
A LESSON IN NEATNEss.
est must be given in the parlor," re
sponded Sonora B., and, leading the
widow into the salon, she pointed to the
PORTRAIT of the deceased president, say
ing: Look at that proud face" then
stopping before a full length portrait of
her ex-highness, said: Look at your
graceful figure, your beautiful face, those
magnificent jewels which you yet possess
and those almost regal robes'' then
quickly turning to large mirror, added
And there behold what you are nowp'
Mrs. Santa Anna gazed at the figure in
ne mirror, then replied: Eyes, my
heauty has all gone.
mo" responde5' her friees1 - svr71r
'eth are still F-autifuI, your is but
lightly cLanged, your fig still ex-
-elln-se, but you are so 81 ny that you
Iok worse than an Jour servants,
nd sou are so INT that if you do
rol soon TOuse " elf half of your facul-
te5 via be r zed for lack of ever-
Mrs Santa Anna rallied for while,
but about q year ago, when the writer
rad occasion 10 see her, and had called
ard lifted some time, a woman in Il
ded slLcO dress, having her head and
rm envelOped in a blue Gotten rebosa.
Ich IS servants ard Indian women
ear, entered the Parlor. / asked:
Does Mrs. Santa Anna know am heres
syas'my card given her?''
The reply was: "AhI l see you have
entirely for~otten me-" 1t was Mrs
santa Annf
Aortife6eat my own stupidity, quickly
replied: The parlor is little dark; I
have not seen you for two years, and then
you were dressed in black" But in very
truth l had never seen the lady looking
quite so untidy. So little was Mrs Santa
Anna known, or rather so completely
was her very existence forgotten, that
when she was buried not long ago some
OF the Mexican newspapers alluded to
her extreme old age,'' although she
could not have been more than 55 or SO
years old. They evidently believed the
deceased was the presidents first wife,
who would have been at least So
City of Mexico Letter.